The Importance of SoilAg and Tech ! Ms. Lacross

The Importance of Soil

Please answer the following questions:

Why is soil important to you? What do we use soil for? Why do we need soil?

Objectives

You will be able to:Summarize ecological functions of soilDescribe 4 ways plants use soilList and explain uses of soil

The Important of Soil Past: The importance of soil dates back thousands of years but is still a

current problem today. in 340 B.C.E. observations of soil were taken by green historian Herodotus in the 1930’s the Dust Bowl caused drought because of soil misuse.

Present North and South America and Europe receive dust blown from Africa. As

soils of Africa degrade the movement of dust has been increasing.

Future: The Earths population has reached about 7 billion people The worlds growers will need to provide 70 percent more food by 2050

Renewable or Nonrenewable? Soil is a Slowly RENEWABLE resource

Minerals in Rocks and Fossil fuels are Nonrenewable

Compost is renewable

Nonrenewable: resources in which there is a limited supply. supply comes from the Earth takes millions of years to develop is FINITE

Renewable: resource that is replaced naturally can be used again

Soil is a life supporting layer of material

The atmosphere, crust and soil interact to provide plants and animals with the resources they need Temperature: plant roots grow best in certain

soil temperature ranges 40 – 50 degrees Gases: plant roots and other soil organisms need

o2 and give off c02 Water: Soils filter water as it moves through

purifying it

Soil is a life supporting layer of material

The atmosphere, crust and soil interact to provide plants and animals with the resources they need Carbon: Soils act as a carbon reserve keeping

carbon dioxide out of the atmosphere Nutrients:

Nitrogen: soil organisms convert gaseous nitrogen to forms that plants can use

Agricultural Uses Of Soil

Human societies depend on soil to grow foodfibertimberornamental plants andbiofuels

Agricultural Uses of Soil: Cropland

Cropland: is land on which soil is worked and crops are plants, cared for and harvested

worldwide the greatest acreage of cropland is devoted to ANNUAL crops (one year season)

Agricultural Uses of Soil: Grazing Land

Much land in the US is graze by cattle and sheep

Pasture is planted for forage Forage: food for horses or cattle aka Fodder

The environmental consequences of grazing depends on how the land is managed

Overstocked land suffers damage to soil and water

Agricultural Uses of Soil: Forest

Foresters disturb soil the LEAST but management is a concern

Trees are harvested after many years of growth logging equipment tears up the grass

(vegetative cover) and compacts the soil Compaction = erosion

Agricultural Uses of Soil: Landscape Horticulture

Landscape horticulture landscaping and growing plants in containers the practice we use to sustain soil and water

resources in Urban areas

Landscapers install and maintain plants in soils that have been heavily modified by construction

Agricultural Uses of Soil: Urban Agriculture

Seeks to provide food, especially for poorer people

urban farmers occupy small pieces of land vacant lots, large yards or grounds

Use of soil in the United States

Soil and Climate

Climate affects how we use the soil

How we use the soil affects the climate

Greenhouse gases: What we do when we manage soil can increase or decrease the concentration of gases in the atmosphere

Soil is one of the planets largest reservoirs of carbon in the form of organic matter if we lose organic matter from fields more CO2

goes into the atmosphere

Please answer the following questions:

Now that you know more about the importance of soil … What things would you NOT have if we did not have

soil?

Do foresters disturb the soil the most or the least?

What is Urban Agriculture?